Keep Jim Barnett

Win or lose, I’ve felt a sadness lingering over every Warriors game this season. It’s the knowledge that each game brings us one closer to the end of Jim Barnett’s 29-year tenure as not only the Warriors’ voice, but its basketball conscience. The Warriors and Barnett made a supposedly “mutual decision” this past off-season to move Barnett out of the broadcast booth. There’s still time for both sides to reconsider that decision — for the good of all the fans enriched by Barnett’s passion, knowledge and modest dignity.

My love for Barnett is no secret, but I don’t consider myself different from other Warriors fans in that respect. When I wrote a piece immediately after the team’s announcement about Barnett, there was an outpouring of praise for his work that transcends what I’ve seen for even the most adored player. A long-term Warrior may stick with the team for 7 or 8 seasons. Barnett has a tenure 4 times that long. He has helped raised generations of not only Warriors fanatics, but savvy basketball lovers. Among those generations — young and old — I’ve yet to encounter a single person who thinks Barnett’s retirement is a good idea.

There’s certainly no justification for it on Barnett’s side. He’s attacked this season with the same enthusiasm, insight and critical thought with which he’s handled the 28 before it. If anything, he seems to be even livelier — no surprise, since he’s getting to analyze one of the best squads in the nearly three decades he’s been calling games. There’s been zero indication from Barnett that he’s slowing down, running out of lessons to teach or looking forward to riding off into the sunset. He’s a basketball junkie, and every game he still conveys the sense that there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.

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With no issues on Barnett’s side, why did the Warriors think it was time for Barnett to go? “Mutual decision” is a phrase loved by lawyers for moves that are usually anything but. I see two reasons why the Warriors might have wanted to push Barnett aside, and neither makes any sense. First, Barnett may have become too objective — willing to call out poor play when necessary, rather than sugarcoat it with layers of excuses. Instead of a basketball analyst with decades of experience, the team may want a mouthpiece solely dedicated to pushing the party line. If that’s the case, it’s insulting to a fanbase that the Warriors’ PR machine celebrates as the NBA’s best. Second, the Warriors may feel like they need someone younger in the broadcasting seat. Putting aside potential ageism — hiring or firing merely because of someone’s age — there’s no indication that someone younger would be more marketable. The Warriors’ broadcast ratings are at record highs. Barnett has embraced social media and the internet to reach out to younger generations of fans. His wealth of basketball knowledge bridges whatever cultural differences may exist between different ages — just look at the respect he draws from the best players of the current generation, like LeBron James. If the Warriors are pushing Barnett aside because they think he’s too old for the job, it’s a shameful way to treat someone who has been so central to fans’ enjoyment of this team for the past three decades. Forget “team ambassador,” the best way to celebrate Barnett is to keep him in the broadcast booth.

Warriors fans are always willing to speak their minds. I’ve witnessed it every day for the last 8 years on this blog, as Warriors fans have come together to express their joy and frustration — but ultimately love — for this team. If you’d like Jim Barnett to remain a part of your Warriors experience, now is the time to speak up. Here’s what you can do:

Tweet the team (@warriors) and/or Jim (@uograd66). Tell them to #keepjim or just let them know what you think of Barnett’s calls.

Email team president Rick Welts (rwelts@warriors.com). Ask him to reconsider the Warriors’ side of this “mutual decision.” Or just send a note to the general team email address (ticketing@warriors.com).

Pick up the phone. If people care enough to call the Warriors (510-986-2200) and ask that Barnett stay on, it’s a strong indication of what he means to the fanbase.

Leave notes of support below in the comments section. Let us know your favorite lessons from the “Book of Barnett” or anything else you enjoy. I’ll collect some of them for a post later this week.

Make your voice heard at the Arena. Make a sign or talk to your ticket rep (if you’re a season ticket holder).

There’s no guarantee that an outpouring of support for Barnett will change things, but the team hasn’t announced a replacement for him. If they’re still weighing options, they should consider whether the most popular — and easiest — choice would be to bring back JB.

Ultimately, asking the Warriors and Jim Barnett reconsider their decision is a selfish request on my part. I started watching and listening to Warriors games about the same time Barnett started calling them. 29 seasons with 82 games, each just over 2 hours, makes for roughly 4,756 hours — or nearly 200 days — of basketball analysis. Despite all that time together, Barnett still surprises me when he finds some new wrinkle of the game to explicate or another war story from his playing days to unfurl in the fourth quarter of a blowout. I’ve learned — and grown to love — the game of basketball as seen through Jim Barnett’s eyes. But there is still so much left to learn.

or may be Adam can start another post and leaving this one only for Jim Barnett discussion. Over next few days, I am expecting more posts here from new posters.

Son of Ahmed

Keep Jim Barnett

earl monroe

#keepbarnett

Chris L

Adam above:

“Leave notes of support below in the comments section. Let us know your favorite lessons from the ‘Book of Barnett’ or anything else you enjoy. I’ll collect some of them for a post later this week.”

So it sounds like (at least at the time of writing the above) that Adam’s thinking his next post will be a follow-up of the topic of “Keep Jim.”

Genghis Khan

Fast Break
‏@GSWFastBreak

14m

“Hearing that Warriors are considering keeping Barnett on air in some capacity beyond this year. Let them know what you think. #KeepJim”

earl monroe

Keep Jim

Guest

#keepjim

earl monroe

Sorry if I double posted this

knick

Adam nice show of support from you. I’m interested to know what Mr Barnett thinks. Was the decision really mutual? If not why will Lacob decide to eliminate such an icon from the organization? Is there a philosophical difference between JB and JL? Indeed Lacob and co have made some pretty dubious decisions recently with the extension of Bogus being the very worse. Letting JJ and Landry walk wasn’t smart either. Drafting Nedovic, signing Kuzmic, all that will pale in comparison to the decision of letting JB leave while retaining the pot bellied screamer.

Not only does Barnett see a play b4 it evolves, he takes the time to explain in detail how it evolved and how it can either be enhanced or stopped. There are many color analysts out there, you’ll be hard pressed to find one as dedicated to his team as JB. Mr. Lacob, for the sake of warrior fans new and old, PLEASE KEEP JIM BARNETT.

ledocs

It’s, um, ironic, quite frankly, that warriorsworld.net, one of the least subtle sites of “conversation” on planet earth, came up with this “Quite frankly” T-shirt, which is too subtle by half, I would say. If I had not been told what it was about, I don’t think I would get it, and I’ve been watching/listening to Barnett forever. It’s a pretty nice T-shirt, though, once one knows what it is about. I would not, in a million lifetimes, have associated that T-shirt with warriorsworld.net, flaming capital of the known universe.

If Lacob and Guber keep Bob Fitzgerald but can Jim Barnett, essentially it means that management believes that Warriors fans are dolts who prefer being pandered to and need their opinions to be made for them. Basically it shows a complete lack of respect for us. They probably believe that those of us who are smart enough to understand what’s going on are such die hard fans that we won’t do anything about it. Not that this is any different from any other corporations view of the American public. Knowing the average American, I can’t really even blame them.

JEY

Maybe it was cause ol’ Scal never smiled. Perpetual scowl, thick and thin.

JEY

Can these be bought somewhere?

dr_john

Can you spell “authentic”?

dr_john

I will do this. But I have to tell you—of the many e-mails I have sent to the Warriors and to Joe Lacob—I have NEVER had ONE response.

Never.

dr_john

Scal? Why,exactly?

dr_john

Only you would turn this into another anti-Bogut rant. While the Knicks just get another loss out of the way , giving a 51 point quarter to the Fakers.

JB thinks you are clueless, and he is correct.

Thurston Hunger

Clearly customer service is a priority for Joe and co?

Perhaps spoof your email as coming from vivek@kings.com and thank Welts for the services of Barnett?

Chris L

Wojnarowski is saying that this is just one (now suddenly very public) symptom of what’s been a long, deep, persistent dysfunction, right?

earl monroe

there are conceptual at this point JEY

Matthew Wong

I’ll admit that I am a relatively new fan (since 2004-05 season). However Jim Barnett has been one of the main reasons that even watching pre- “We Believe” Warriors basketball was enjoyable, but you heard the nuances of the game, and how he was able to break down individual and team play. Jim’s calls are like lectures about our favorite subject: basketball; he breaks it down, shares anecdotes to convey his point, and is passionate about the subject. As warriors fans, I don’t know if we could have asked for a better teacher, especially for someone who has almost done it for 3 decades.

If #keepjim isn’t able to change the current state of his tenure as a Warriors color commentator, then I hope the Warriors brass at least have the class to give Jim a standing ovation at Oracle sometime this season.

Tired

lol

jsl165

And, can you spell “self-control”?

Or has Jackson got your Johnson?

JEY

Well, I’d totally buy one, haha.

Thurston Hunger

Nice post Matthew, that’s the odd thing to me how hush–hush this farewell has been. JO’N has got more press in terms of his (potential) last year, with talk about Jermaine maybe not being done.

Jim has spent a lot more time with the Warriors, through thick and very thin, and not even a bobblehead (I hate those things, but it makes the point).

One thing I was thinking about driving into work, we know cost must not be an issue as Barnett stuck around through all those Cohan years (who knows, maybe CC made Gentleman Jim pay to broadcast)

It would be nice if #keepjim would get at least half the press that Scalabrini-gate is getting.

rich9960 .

I’ve been a fan of the Warriors since I was a kid, starting with the ’62-’63 season. I enjoy JB and his insights. He a student of the game and tells it like it is. I’ve seen it all in my time. He a former professional with brains. Keep him on!! We don’t need a corporate apologist in the booth. The Dubs are up and coming but they need to be taken to the wood shed once and awhile for their sloppy and erratic play.

Hah! That is for sure. So Lacob has had a hand in getting rid of two rich strange men. But Barnett is NOT in that category.

David K

Having had League Pass for years, I believe Jim Barnett is easily the best color man in the NBA. His ability to transmit his encylopedic knowedge of the game in an easy-to-understand way is unparalleled. It’s really a special gift he has.

IMO, more than half the color guys in the league are nothing more than cheerleaders who add NOTHING to the viewer’s understanding of the game. I’ve been watching the Dubs for all of Barnett’s tenure (and before), and to this day, I still learn something new most every game.

If this really is about replacing Barnett with a glorified cheerleader, that would be terribly disappointing. All things must end at some point, but JB is still doing stellar work.

jsl165

Right!

rio kid

i appreciate this perspective, i only watch the W’s on TV…don’t have time for more than one team and I am happy to hear that he is at the top of his peers and frankly that does not suprise me. He is respected by the player. Bellinelli came by to say hi, Monta Ellis, Curry is a fan, even king james likes Barnett…he will be missed.

GwydionRhys

If the Warriors are thinking of replacing Jim Barnett, I have one question. Who can you get who’s better? Second question. Who can you get who is as good? For me, the answer is the same. Nobody. Warriors have the best analyst in the game.